Many told her that an invitation to the 2011 summit would be highly unlikely.

Even though there was no formal process to land on such an invitation list, she made it her mission throughout 2010 to tell everyone and anyone she knew about how much she, on behalf of Webster University, wanted to attend the summit.

It would be one of the first times that colleges and universities from the two countries would come together and discuss ways they could increase the numbers of exchange students studying in one another’s countries.

After petitioning various leaders and calling in favors from colleagues, Stroble finally received an email from the White House notifying her that she was invited to the 2011 summit.

Her message at the 9th annual St. Louis Business Journal Women’s Conference was this: as women, we should not only want a seat at the table, but we should strive for a seat at the head of the table.

But most times, Stroble said, women are afraid to even sit at the table — let alone lead it. For various reasons, women are either afraid to speak their minds or may feel too inexperienced.

Stroble’s lesson is simple: as women we need to always be doing whatever we can for a seat at the table.